On this day, September 9, in hip hop history…
1999: Approximately three years after the tragic deaths of their sons, Afeni Shakur and Voletta Wallace - the mothers of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G respectively - shared the stage together at MTV’s annual VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS in 1999. The grieving mothers were brought on stage by actor/rapper Will Smith to present the award for Best Rap Video and to honor the legacies of their fallen sons. For many, their joint appearance was seen as a healing moment for hip-hop as the joint appearance of the two mothers of once bitter enemies was seen as a de facto prayer for peace.